Genius
by Master Liar
Summary: CURRENTLY ON HOLD Picks up after 5x08 "Many Heads, One Tale." My take on what could happen next - mostly focusing on FitzSimmons relationship, dealing with Will, etc. Not so much "what comes next" in terms of Hydra.
1. Prologue

It was a genius plan.

Really, it was. And Fitz didn't use that term often, since he actually _was_ a genius and therefore knew how high the standard must be in order to call something "genius."

But he had to admit it. As much as he hated it, the plan he and Simmons had devised together to return to that godforsaken alien planet was really, truly genius.

And it tore him up that ultimately, the whole point of this plan, the thing he and Simmons should be the most proud of, the thing that could arguably be considered the most incredibly brilliant solution their two genius minds had ever come up with, something he and Simmons should rightfully be out on the town toasting and celebrating as their crowning achievement thus far in their long line of brilliant achievements, and hopefully just one of many, many more to come for years more down the road…

The whole point was to bring back Will.

No one was even pretending there was any other reason. No one was packing up any gear to study the planet once they returned to it, no one was prepping the lab for the study of soon-to-be-arriving samples of the lake worm Simmons had described, or the rock formations, or the fungi the scientist had dined on.

No, instead the team was busying themselves with their standard gear for any mission - guns and various weapons to protect themselves from the sandstorm monster - and generally doing an excellent job of altogether avoiding Fitz.

It felt like his injury all over again.

No one knew how to treat him or how to act around him. Bobbi, who hadn't known him before the injury, was sweet and somewhat seemed to pity him, but she was focused on the mission and keeping the team safe. Fitz couldn't fault her for that. Simmons was on the team.

Only Hunter treated him somewhat normally - but Fitz would have preferred silence from the Englishman. His default mode of sarcastic had taken an even more degrading tone, frequently suggesting he join him for a beer or taking potshots at Will. It just made Fitz feel like he had somehow already lost.

And Simmons was… Well, Fitz had never quite seen her like this, which was odd, considering their long history. Since the kiss he had expected her to distance herself for Will's sake, but she had remained just the same as always, except perhaps a bit more affectionate.

After their big reveal of the Hydra connection to the monolith, he had expected her to retreat to her favorite thinking spot, but she had seemed as clear-headed as ever. A well-worn lime green lounge chair that had been a thrift store find back in their Academy days, Simmons had taken to perching on its soft cushions with a hot cup of tea every time she had something to riddle out in her brain that took extra thought. Fitz had seen her there after several breakups and after one particularly intense drag-out fight with a SHIELD professor with whom Simmons had strongly disagreed regarding his method of cataloguing tissue samples.

When they graduated, Simmons had relocated her beloved chair to the Garage, unable to bring it with her on the Bus. After Ward's betrayal, Fitz had helplessly watched her wander the Bus with her tea, unable to find a place to settle. He had done the best he could by building up a pile of pillows in a small corner near their bunks, and though she had appreciated the effort, he knew she had remained restless. After his injury, as his recovery had just begun, Fitz had been wandering the base late at night, trying to force his brain to remember its surroundings, using his bad hand to guide him through the darkness. He had literally stumbled across Simmons, curled up in a ball in her chair, sobbing harder than he'd ever seen her. He squeezed into the chair and held her, letting her wrap herself around him and ball into his lap, sobbing into his shoulder until they both fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning, his neck aching from the odd angle, he was alone. She had left.

The chair currently remained unoccupied, angled in front of the window at the Garage that got the best eastern light. Fitz had dragged it there immediately after his realization that Simmons hadn't seen a sunrise in 6 months. They would occasionally share the chair, watching the sunrise together, Simmons once again perched in his lap, smiling softly and sipping tea as she watched the sun and he watched her.

They had done so that very morning. Fitz snuggled back into a corner of the seat, his legs extended and feet propped up on the windowsill, Jemma tucked into the other corner, her legs criss-crossing over his. She balanced a saucer on her legs, one hand holding the teacup, the other softly running a thumb over his knuckles as she peacefully stared outside. She had hummed in soft appreciation of the beautiful streaks of colors that gradually painted through the morning sky, and he had stared at her, trying to absorb every moment, terrified that this was the last time they would do this.

And now the plan was underway. Their team - Bobbi, Fitz, Jemma, Hunter, and Daisy - had landed the Quin Jet near what the scientists had determined was going to be their way in. By their calculations, they knew the next time a portal would naturally open on the mystery planet, and they had figured out a way to piggyback the remnant energy from an Asgardian bridge to access it.

Once there, Daisy would handle the Inhuman, Jemma would find Will, and Bobbi and Hunter would handle any problems that came their way. On paper, Fitz was supposed to monitor the portal to ensure their return and collect samples from the planet, but everyone knew he was just planning to watch Simmons like a hawk. A part of him appreciated the irony. A year ago, he would have probably traded a monkey for the opportunity to study an unknown, billion-year old planet. But now, he couldn't give a rat's ass about the hell hole. The planet almost killed Simmons. As far as he was concerned, it could fall in a black hole or spontaneously combust or getting destroyed by the Death Star.

The minute Will was located, Fitz was going to yank Simmons back to Earth so quickly it would make her head spin. There was no chance in hell he was letting her stay there for another second than was absolutely necessary.

With Coulson and May looking on a few feet away, the team gathered on top of the marking for the Asgardian bridge. Bobbi and Hunter checked their weapons one last time while Daisy closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Fitz stole a glance at Simmons, who was staring at the ground, nodding reassuringly to herself. He reached out to grasp her hand and she grabbed it, squeezing tight. Her watch beeped and she increased the pressure on her hand as she said out loud,

"3 - 2 - 1." Simmons squeezed her eyes shut as the sand starting to kick up around them and they felt a faint shaking under their feet. Seeing the portal open ahead of them, Fitz took a deep breath of his own and took a step closer to Simmons, squeezing his eyes shut himself.

He didn't want to do this. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to turn around, run, and take Simmons with him.

But that's not what Simmons wanted.

So he stepped forward into the portal and wrapped his arms around Jemma as the world around them shook violently, tucking her head under his chin. He started to feel sand whip around his face and the world started to grow significantly darker.

This would work, he told himself. Of course it would. It was a genius plan.


	2. Chapter 1 - Retrieval

"How's Will?"

"Fine."

The three-word exchange had become their routine every morning. He would be waiting in the chair with two cups of tea or hot chocolate, depending on his mood, and she would arrive shortly thereafter to join him, having just checked on Will in Isolation. It was, thus far, the most they had discussed the man.

Their extraction had gone off without a hitch, save for a slight moment of panic at their arrival. The portal had dropped them square in the middle of what Simmons had immediately identified as the "No Fly Zone," causing her to panic and begin sprinting with a speed Fitz didn't know she possessed toward a distant outcropping of rocks. The team hurried to follow her, arms tightly wrapping their gear to their sides as they ran behind her, following her cries of "Hurry! Hurry!"

It wasn't until several minutes later, when they were finally all huddled under a rock, bent over and bracing themselves on their knees to suck in as much air into their lungs as possible, that Fitz allowed himself a moment to really observe their surroundings. His eyes had been adjusting to the dim lighting as they ran, and he was able to make out more definable features of the planet that he had missed upon their immediate arrival.

The two moons he had seen on Simmons' recordings and pictures were there, providing a faint illumination to vast expanses of sandy dunes and rocks. Taking a sip from his water bottle, Fitz straightened and rotated slightly, trying to take in a panorama view that Simmons' camera phone had been unable to fully capture. He hated to admit it, but the planet really was quite beautiful, in a very eerie way.

Turning his back on the group for a moment, Fitz focused on the horizon in front of him and held his hands over his ears, blocking out the noise of his team's breathing and Hunter's quiet running commentary of complaints. The complete absence of color, light and sound made him feel as though he had stepped inside a painting. It didn't feel real. Fitz took several moments standing there, taking it in, trying to imagine how he would react, suddenly arriving in this place alone, surprised, and completely unprepared. He felt instant terror. Panic streaked through his body, and dread settled heavy in his stomach.

Fitz dropped his hands and blindly turned, wide eyes searching out Simmons. She stood a few feet away, staring intently into the No Fly Zone, her hands double- and triple-checking the weapons on her belt. Her face was focused, sharp, and completely devoid of every trace of the Jemma Simmons he knew. He had seen hints of this woman over the years, during their more trying times, when she was forced to brush aside emotion and focus on the terrible task at hand. Working on a nearly-dead Sky after her body was found, shot and bleeding out. Delivering the news of Bakshi's death to Coulson. Going back into the field with Ward after his betrayal. But he had never seen this woman, so intent on survival that nothing else matters. Her humanity was gone, replaced by the desire to do what must be done to survive. The transformation was chilling.

Simmons must have felt his gaze, because she turned to lock eyes with Fitz. "I'm so sorry," he murmured. Because he was. He understood now. He had been such an idiot. He couldn't imagine surviving as long as she had on this planet, he would rather kill himself. He would go crazy. Of course she had teamed up with Will, the alternative was death. Of course they got together, this place made you feel like you were completely alone in the entire universe. He had only been here a few moments and he was blown away by how long she had held herself together. He had seen the video recordings, seen hints of the Simmons he loved smiling down at the camera. He had done the math - she had maintained her hope for months into her exile here, only giving up when her plan to send a message to Fitz had failed. She had turned into the survival mode Simmons and that Simmons had been the one with Will. Not his Simmons. He had nothing to be jealous of, because their relationship was just another way she survived.

Simmons offered him a small, sad smile and reached out to squeeze his hand. "It wasn't all bad," she admitted, shrugging a bit and slipping back into the woman he knew. It was awe-inspiring to watch her become his Simmons again. "I mean… Two moons, right?" She asked, directing her attention to the sky.

"Bloody hell," he agreed, glancing up at the sky and then back to her, smiling a bit. They really did get themselves into the strangest situations.

After the momentary pause to collect themselves, the team had followed Simmons lead toward a strange spherical mound in the ground, which ended up being a makeshift cover for an underground entrance. The reunion with Will had been quick, for which Fitz was infinitely grateful, and mostly consisted of Simmons having to reassure Will over and over that she was real, they were real, the rescue was real, this was all real.

A particular tense moment happened when Will seemed to have finally accepted the truth and was following them out of his bunker, but then suddenly pulled a knife and tried to slit his own throat. Bobbi quickly put a stop to that, knocking the knife out of his hand and twisting his arms behind his back. Simmons shouted at the man, asking him if he believed that she was real know that someone had knocked him upside the head.

The whole time, Fitz had hung back, unwilling to get involved. He was here to get them in and out. Just like any other mission. He didn't miss the tearful hug the pair had shared upon their reunion, but didn't dwell on it either. He had accepted the necessity of their relationship, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He checked the monitors on his tablet as the rest of the group got Will squared away, packing up anything he felt was necessary to take for his return - it appeared the astronaut actually had an interest in studying some of the samples he had collection of the years - and waited as they fell in line, ready for their return to Earth.

Jemma left Will in the care of Bobbi and Hunter, who was busy talking his ear off about how beer had improved in the last 14 years and how he was just not going to believe how realistic video games were now, and joined Fitz at the tunnel entrance. "Ready?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the tablet. She wordlessly nodded, knowing he would understand her desire to get out quickly. "Good. We've got 15 minutes to make it back to the entrance in the No Fly Zone. Is that okay?"

Simmons nodded again, pressing her lips together. "We just have to run. Let's have Sky - Daisy - be on full alert in case the monster shows up so she can push it away… Or… You know… Just." She stumbled, flushing, a sheer look of terror suddenly shooting across her face.

"Hey, hey," Fitz said soothingly, suddenly looking up to brush a thumb along her cheek, "It's okay. You're safe. We're all going to be home soon."

Simmons nodded, and the pair locked eyes. A moment later, Hunter's throat clearing broke them up and Simmons jumped back from Fitz as though his hand had burned her face. She immediately looked at Will and blushed furiously, turning to pull open the door.

The group had sprinted through the No Fly Zone, no hint of the sand monster or Inhuman, or whatever they had decided it was, in sight. The portal was open, they all got through quickly, and Fitz had remained poised at the open portal with Simmons, squinting into the portal as it closed, ensuring that the monster would not follow them through to Earth.

"Fitz." Will's voice was strong, despite his body being supported by Bobbi and Mac, who had rushed out of the Quinn Jet upon their return.

The scientist turned to stare at the astronaut, shocked. They had not been introduced, and had thus far, not even spoken, Fitz being too busy managing their return and Will being overwhelmed by the proceedings.

"Thank you," Will said solemnly, nodding slowly. He glanced at Simmons, still at Fitz' side, then back to Fitz. "Thank you," he repeated.

Fitz, unsure what to say, just nodded back in acknowledgement.

The portal successfully closed, Simmons had run up to fuss over Will as he was immediately whisked into Isolation while his body acclimated to Earth.

And in Isolation he remained at the Garage, and the rest of the team returned to go about their lives at the Garage, planning their next attack on Ward with Coulson and making plans for a new Bus. Fitz knew Simmons visited Will more than she discussed - he had seen the security footage of her sneaking in at night, holding his hand as he slept, as though making sure he was there and safe. But then every morning she would come out and join him, holding his hand as they watched the sunrise.

Fitz said nothing, just allowed Simmons to continue her quest to love both of them without hurting either. He wasn't jealous of the man any longer, for he knew now that her struggle was not to choose between the two men, but rather to come to terms that she was different now. She had to reconcile the woman she was before and the woman she was on that planet, and she didn't know how. He understood - he had had to do the same after his injury. Sky had done the same when she accepted her inhuman abilities and slowly became Daisy.

So now, while they were sitting on their chair again, watching the sunrise, Fitz would give her what she needed - time. He wouldn't give her space, he didn't think he knew how to survive without Simmons at this point, and he knew she still needed him too. But he could step back and not pressure her on the relationship as she continued to decompress.

"Hey," he asked suddenly, a frown wrinkling his forehead as a thought occurred to him.

Simmons glanced over at him, raising her eyebrows, "Hmm?"

"I keep forgettin' to ask - how did Will know who I was? When we first got back? You never introduced us."

Simmons' eyes widened momentary and then she laughed lightly, a small smile appearing on her face. She rolled her eyes and hit his arm lightly. "Oh, Fitz," she admonished. "For a genius, you really are an idiot sometimes," she smiled.


	3. Chapter 2 - Departure

**Author's Note: Yes, this is a slightly dramatic beginning, but this will get action-packed real soon, I promise. (Action like shooting and running, get your mind out of the gutter.) Thanks for reading!**

One morning, about two weeks after their return with Will, Jemma seemed more unsettled than usual. She had snuggled into the far corner of the chair away from Fitz, then, apparently unable to get comfortable, suddenly stood and leaned on the wall next to the window, facing away from Fitz, tapping her toes on the ground.

Fitz remained silent as he watched her fidget, waiting her for to speak up with her troubles. She usually did. The past weeks had done wonders for their communication and he actually had started to feel like he used to - like there weren't any secrets between them, like they really were telepathically linked, as Sky - Daisy - had once said. They were entirely FitzSimmons once more, with the relatively new addition of knowing the true depth of one another's feelings. As a result, they had been a bit more direct with their conversations, no longer skirting past issues they had tiptoed around in the past. They were a bit more tactile, too, her hand gently finding his arm when they spoke, his hand finding the small of her back when they walked together. They seemed to constantly need physical reassurances the other was actually there.

The only thing they had not discussed at length was Will.

Fitz watched as she took a sip of the tea he had greeted her with, frowned, then took another sip before rolling her eyes and staring daggers at him. "Honestly, Fitz, you'd think by now you'd know how I like my tea!" She slammed the cup in its saucer on the window ledge and crossed her arms with a huff, leaning against the wall.

"Excuse me?" He asked, startled. She knew damn well that he was the only person who actually did know how to make her tea exactly the way she wanted it, with just the right amount of sugar at just the right temperature. He even knew how her flavor preferences shifted depending on the season or the weather.

"You heard me!" Simmons loudly snapped, then as though suddenly hearing herself, widened her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand. She turned to look at Fitz, gaze pleading. "Oh, Fitz. I'm so sorry, I…" She paused, her eyes starting to well up with tears.

Fitz quickly rose and moved to stand behind her, hand on her shoulder. "Shh, it's alright," he hushed her, trying to calm her nerves that had somehow gotten so on edge. She hadn't been this tense since immediately following her return from the alien planet nearly a month ago.

Simmons nodded, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She reached up to grasp Fitz's hand on her shoulder and leaned back into his chest, letting his body support her weight as they stood together at the window.

A few moments later, she opened her eyes and returned her gaze to the sunrise.

"Now then," Fitz said gently, squeezing her shoulder and slipping his hand down from her shoulder to her hip, lightly resting it there, testing to see if she was okay with this, trying to get a feel for her boundaries. When she didn't respond negatively and instead just snuggled closer to him, he continued, "What's wrong, Jemma?"

"Noth-" she started, then paused. Taking another deep breath, she turned around, letting the hand at her hip graze around her flat stomach and rest on the other hip as she placed her hands on his chest and gazed up at him. Fitz took a sharp breath, surprised at the sudden proximity. They hadn't been this close since their kiss. "Actually, it is something, I just don't think you would want to discuss it," she admitted, ducking her eyes. "Will's body is almost acclimated and he's been thoroughly cleared by all doctors - including myself - for any viruses, human or alien. He's been studying up on what he missed in the last 14 years, he was thrilled for anything to read, he was pouring through every book we could hand him," she laughed to herself smiling at the thought. She stopped suddenly, as though remembering where she was. "I - um… It's just… He's here now." She said, her voice quieting. "It's real."

Fitz just nodded, looking down at her hands on his chest, bracing himself for the moment he knew had been coming. The anger he had felt during their kiss still bubbled under the surface, and when he was tired or ticked off by a difficult issue in the lab, he would allow that anger to rise up and color every interaction with Simmons. How dare she linger with her hand on his arm if she was just going to leave him? Why would she hold his hand while watching the sunrise if she was going to pick Will over him? Didn't she understand the torture she was putting him through? Didn't she sense it that every time she leaned in, he tensed just a little, terrified of what he'd do if she tried to kiss him again?

"He's asked to visit NASA," she said suddenly, her voice clear and steady. She pushed herself away from him lightly, gently separating them and breaking his hold on her waist. "Fitz, I'm so sorry," she said, sadness dripping from the words as she remained focused on his chest.

Fitz froze. Was this it? Had she chosen? "Why." He said, stating the question. Demanding a clear answer.

"I'm… I'm going with him."

"Wha-"

"I'm going with him, and I'm sorry."

"You - " Fitz started again, still not understanding exactly what was happening. He ran a hand through his hair, a habit that had lost its effectiveness after he started cutting his hair shorter.

"He just…" Simmons started, stumbling again at first, then picking up steam and barreling ahead once she found the words, "He just doesn't know anyone, and I'm the only person on the entire planet that he knows, well, both planets actually I guess, and all of his friends have moved on or forgotten him or were secretly Hydra so they're dead or in jail or working for Ward, and he's so overwhelmed by everything and technology that's happened in last 14 years he can't quite process it very well right now, and he needs someone he trusts to walk him through it, and he doesn't know who to trust except me. And he still doesn't quite understand the whole Hydra connection, even though I've explained it to him a hundred times, because he doesn't really understand the true threat of Hydra because he's never really seen how terrible humans can be to one another. Really, he's been on a different planet since before September 11th in New York, Fitz, so really trying to understand all the evil and terrible and awful things that have happened in this world since then, all at once, well it's really messed with his brain, especially now that he finds out he's somehow connected to Nazis, of all things, and… Well, Director Coulson has been able to pull some strings and Captain Rogers is going to meet with him here at the Garage once we return from NASA to just kind of work through acclimating yourself to a world that's gone on without you, and… Um… I just… He needs me, Fitz. I can't abandon him."

Fitz just stared at her, his mind running a mile a minute to process everything she had just said. Selfishly, the thing that stuck in the forefront immediately was that Will was going to meet Captain America. The bloody fool had gotten himself stuck alone on an alien planet of all things, and that somehow meant he deserved be be friends with an Avenger? He knew for a fact some of his tech had directly saved the life of someone Maria Hill held very dear last year, she had personally thanked him, and he had yet to meet so much as Romanov. Not that he would want to. That woman terrified him to his very core. But while working in the lab since joining Shield, Simmons and Fitz had often daydreamed out loud about whom they'd like to meet, given the opportunity. Fitz would probably be willing to go on another mission with Ward if it meant he got to meet Tony Stark and discuss tech. And Simmons would do anything to meet Bruce Banner and study literally anything with him. Simmons also wanted to meet Thor, but after hearing her discuss his physique with another female lab tech at great length one day, Fitz was fairly certain that desire had nothing to do with his alien abilities or Avenger status. As a result, Fitz also had a secret desire that Jemma never meet Thor or Captain America for that matter, just in case they met them together and Simmons therefore saw him standing next to either man.

But that wasn't the point. Fitz shook aside the streak of jealousy running through him at Will's impending date with an Avenger and moved on to the most important thing she had said. "So you're coming back?" He asked, hoping that the desperation he felt wasn't betrayed on his face.

Simmons looked up at him, shocked, as tears started to well in her eyes, "Oh, Fitz! Oh, of course I'm coming back!" She said, reaching forward and wrapping her arms around him, "Oh, I'm so sorry you thought… Well, of course you thought that, why wouldn't you? I did abandon you. All I do is leave you. I keep leaving you and leaving you, over and over. I'm so, so sorry Fitz. I don't… You shouldn't…" She started sobbing into his shirt, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, softly shushing her cries.

"You didn't leave me in the ocean," he said, trying to appease her cries.

"But I did abandon you. When you needed me, after the ocean, I left you. But when Will needed me to save him, I got you and our entire team to cross planets to save him," Simmons muttered into his shirt, self-disgust filling her voice. "Really, you should hate me."

Fitz remained silent, his hand continuing it's journey up and down her back. There was nothing to say to that. He allowed himself a slight chuckle at the thought of ever hating her. The pair had talked her choice to go to Hydra at length during their usual morning sunrise conversations, and he understood her reasoning and had come to accept that it really was the logical choice. She had been right - he had leaned on her far too much during his recovery. That didn't mean he had to like it, but he understood it. He was ready to move past it, but it turned out Simmons was nowhere near ready to move past the guilt she still felt over leaving him.

So he remained quiet, just holding her tightly. "When?" He asked after a moment, hating the answer already.

Simmons sniffled into his shirt, her cries coming to an end. "A few hours," she said quietly into his shirt.

Fitz just nodded, ignoring the sharp pang of fear that settled into his stomach every time he felt Simmons starting to slip away from him. "And when do you think you'll return?"

"We'll probably only be there for a few days," Simmons said, her voice muffled.

Fitz hummed in acknowledgement, reaching one arm to wrap around her waist and bringing the other to smooth her hair, calming her. "Then I'll look forward to your return," he said quietly.

After a moment, Simmons had stopped crying and he could just feel her chest slowly rising against his as she breathed.

"You have to go, Simmons," he said sadly, answering her question before she asked it, reading her thoughts as usual. "You'd never forgive yourself if you just walked away. You have to see," he said, his heart breaking as he said the words. They both knew Simmons was joining Will on the trip for more than just logistical purposes. She had to see what life would be like with Will, back on Earth. She had to see if they would work, and she had to explain her feelings to Will.

Since her return, Simmons had been more somber than her old self, less ready with a smile. Now that Fitz had seen what she had had to become on the alien planet for survival, he knew she was starting to reconcile her two selves. Now she had to do the same with the two men.

She stilled at his words, then just pair stood there in silence for a moment more, the morning sun now soaking Simmons' back and forcing Fitz to squint down at his partner.

Gradually, Simmons sighed and leaned back, looking up into Fitz' eyes. She rose up onto her toes and grasped his face in both hands. "I promise I'll come back," she swore, leaning in and kissing him sweetly.

She tasted like salty tears and tea with just the right amount of sugar and Fitz soaked it all in, squeezing his eyes shut as he prayed this wouldn't be the last time he'd ever get a taste.


End file.
